CU-Boulder ranks No. 1 nationally for Peace Corps volunteers

February 1, 2011

For the first time in its history, the University of Colorado Boulder is ranked No. 1 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2011 with 117 undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas, the Peace Corps announced today.

Audio Clips

Audio Script

Feb. 1, 2011

For the first time in its history, the University of Colorado Boulder is ranked No. 1 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2011 with 117 undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas, the Peace Corps announced today.

Alea Richmond was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador from 2008 to 2010. She worked with young people teaching English, HIV/Aids prevention, sexual and reproductive health in the high schools. She is now CU-Boulder’s campus Peace Corps coordinator.

CUT 1 “From Peace Corps I learned how to over come adversity and what it feels like to be a minority. I grew up in Colorado and it was the first time experiencing what it felt like to be outnumbered and to be the one who was struggling with language -- to kind of live in a fish bowl where everyone was watching me. (:24) It really taught me the importance of relationships and humbling myself to let other people around me teach me and show me the way.” (:34)

Chelsea Komlo is a CU-Boulder senior majoring in anthropology and philosophy. She is a new volunteer and just received her notice that she will be going to Africa after she graduates in May but she doesn’t know where she’ll be stationed. She is interested in health care and has been assigned to a health care project.

CUT 2 “It was really exciting for me to be told that I was going to Africa and working in health. Health is something that has interested me for a very long time. I am working in public health policy right now so it’s just going to be fascinating to take what I’ve learned here and hopefully use it in Africa at whatever post I’m in. (:27) It’s exciting but it’s also -- I don’t really know what to expect but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I guess I am going into it as confidently as I can without knowing what I am getting myself into.” (:38)

Peter Simons is director of CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement.

CUT 3 “The University has always, even back to the early 60s when Peace Corps began, has attracted students who have a desire to be engage in their communities, whether it’s global or local, developed or undeveloped and they have a desire to be overseas. (:15) The second part of that answer is over the last five years the university has emphasized strongly the importance of civic engagement as part of an undergraduate and graduate student’s education and experience here.” (:32)

CU-Boulder was ranked No. 2 in both 2009 and 2010, and is ranked No. 5 all time with 2,269 alumni who have served in the Peace Corps since it was established in 1961.